Grommet means for sizing apparatuses



Oct. 24, 1967 K. F. RUSSELL GROMMET MEANS FOR SIZING APPARATUSES 4 Sheets-Shet 1 Original Filed May 29, 1961 INVENTOR I KENNETH RUSSELL firromvsys.

Oct. 24,- 1967 I y K. F. RUSSELL 3,348,679

GROMMET MEANS FOR SIZING APPARATUSES Original Filed May 29, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ffa.

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Oct. 24, 1967 K. F. RUSSELL 3,348,679

GROMMET MEANS FOR SIZING APPARATUSES Original Filed May 29, 1961 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 4c 3 QKX r20 v INVENTOR.

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Oct. 24, 1967 K. F. lussELL 7 Y GRQMMET MEANS FOR SIZING APPARATUSES Original Filed May 29, 1961 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. K's/wary 1 RUSSELL United States Patent GROMMET MEANS 1 0R SIZING APPARATUSES Kenneth F. Russell, Pomona, Calif., assignor to Brogdex Company, Pomona, Calif., a corporation of California Original application May 29, 1961, Ser. No. 113,304, now

Patent No. 3,179,429, dated Apr. 20, 1965. Divided and this application Apr. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 447,646

4 Claims. (Cl. 20984) This application is a copending divisional application of application Ser. No. 113,304, filed May 29, 1961, now Patent No. 3,179,429.

This invention relates to an apparatus for sizing articles of variable size, form and volume such as potatoes, grapefruit, oranges, lemons and other kinds of produce, the present application being directed particularly to the grommet means adapted for sizing articles by volume.

Prior proposed machines for sizing such articles have included various constructions and arrangements for orienting such articles and then progressively separating the articles from small size to large size. Some prior proposed machines have included an endless conveyor provided with transversely extending sizing rolls interconnected at their adjacent ends by a complex linkage means so as to permit said sizing rolls to become progressively spaced further apart during advancement of the conveyor. Such progressive separation of the sizing rolls has been heretofore provided by track means including inclined, tapered or converging track surfaces which are engaged by wheels or track rollers carried by such complex linkage means. The connection between the track rollers and the linkage means heretofore included offset or cantilever link constructions wherein wheels supporting a sizing roll were disposed in a plane spaced from the plane in which the linkage was supported and made operable. This construction produced rapid Wear of bearings on the sizing rolls and on track and linkage rollers. Such constructions of prior proposed sizing machines were thus relatively complicated, expensive to manufacture because of special construction, and required continuous maintenance and care.

This invention contemplates a novel apparatus for sizing such articles which obviate many of the disadvantages of the prior proposed sizing machines and which provides a simple, effective, less expensive sizing apparatus having a novel mode of operation. The present invention contemplates a sizing apparatu capable of sizing by volume as well as by dimensional size, and employing 'a simple, effective arrangement for mounting sizing rolls while using a well known form of roller chain.

Generally speaking, the present invention contemplates an apparatus for sizing such articles including an endless conveyor means comprising a plurality of transversely extending parallel sizing rolls having specially contoured grommets thereon for sizing substantially in accordance with volume of the article. Along each side of the conveyor means are provided track means including opposed top and bottom track grooves or guide tracks facing each other and lying in the same vertical planar zone. A link chain of well-known construction may include a track roller at the connection of adjacent ends of adjacent links, alternate track rollers having inwardly extending pivot shaft extensions for supporting the sizing rolls. The latter track roller engage the bottom guide track while the other intermediate track rollers engage the upper guide track. Means including a floating biased sprocket at the discharge end of the conveyor means serves to impart to the chain means sufficient compressive forces against the direction of movement of the chain means so that the track rollers are forced into alternate engagement with the bottom and top guide tracks. The

3,348,679 Patented Oct. 24, 1967 ICC tracks are vertically spaced; the upper track being selectively downwardly inclined through a sizing section of the conveyor means so that as the sizing rolls are advanced toward the end of the apparatus they are progressively urged into further spaced relation to thereby provide progressively larger openings for permitting larger articles to pass between the sizing rolls. A single drive means may be provided for driving a pair of front sprockets which may have a direct drive connection with the pair of rear sprockets which are floatingly biased to ward the front sprockets, all of said sprockets being rotated at virtually the same rate of rotation.

A primary object of this invention, therefore, is to disclose and provide a novel apparatus for sizing articles of variable form and volume, such as potatoes, citrus fruit, and the like.

Another object of the invention is to disclose and pro- Vide sizing rolls provided with grommets for selectively positioning and orienting articles to be sized according to volume.

A particular object of the invention is to provide sizing roll means on which grommets each have a composite curved surface determined by major and minor dimensions of fruit to be classified, such classification of fruit being by volume and based upon independent curves derived from articles of constant volume and of varying size.

Various other objects and advantages of this invention will become readily apparent upon the following description of the drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of the invention is shown.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a sizing apparatus embodying this invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged side view of the feed end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View taken in the plane indicated by line IVIV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line VV of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line VIVI of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged top plan view of a portion of the apparatus adjacent FIG. 6 with the top track removed;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line VIII'VIII of Fro s;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary side view of the discharge end of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line XX of F IG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view taken in the plane indicated by line XIXI of FIG. 2 with the sizing rolls omitted;

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary elevational view from the right of FIG. 1 1; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view of composite curves plotted to determine the exterior surface configuration of a grommet.

In general, an apparatus generally indicated at 20 embodying this invention may comprise a frame means 21 provided with a pair of track means 22 extending for substantially the entire length of the frame means, a chain means 23 which is guided along said track means 22, sizing rolls 24 connected with said chain means and extending transversely of the frame means, and means 26 associated with the chain means and the drive means for holding the chain means in desired contact folded or extended relation.

As best seen in FIG. 1, the apparatus may include a feed end at 30 to which articles to be sized may be fed in any well-known suitable manner. At feed end 30, all of the articles are oriented and distributed upon the sizing rolls 24 which are in closely spaced adjacent relation. As the articles are moved along the frame means 21 they are introduced to a sizing section 3-1 of the apparatus 20 wherein the smaller articles are first separated from the other articles by the spacing between the sizing rolls 24. In the sizing section 31 the articles separated fall upon transversely moving conveyor belts 32 and 33 which may be provided with selectively spaced dividers 34 so as to group the articles according to a selected limited range of size and transport the sized articles to a collecting area. Any articles which are not separated in the sizing section 31 may be discharged at the discharge end 34 of the conveyor onto another transversely moving conveyor belt 35 which will convey any remaining oversized articles to a suitable collecting area.

The frame means 21 may comprise a plurality of suitably interconnected structural frame members. In this example, upstanding end and intermediate frame members 38 and 39 along each side of the frame means may be interconnected by transverse frame members 40 and 41. Along each side of the frame means 21 may be provided suitable side frame members such as 42 and 43. The upper ends of the upstanding frame members 38 and 39 may be interconnected by an upwardly inclined channel section member 45 which terminates adjacent the end of a longitudinally extending channel section member 46 which extends for the remaining length of the frame means. The channel section members 45 and 46 provide frame sup ports for the track means 22. It will be understood that any suitable structural members may be used in fabricating the frame means 21 and that for strength and rigidity, as desired, other frame constructions may be employed.

The track means 22 includes at the feed section 30 a pair of uniformly spaced apart longitudinally extending parallel angle section members 48 and 49 (FIG. 6) secured to the Web of the channel section member 45 as by a plurality of spaced nut and bolt assemblies 50. Each angle section member 48 and 49 may be of approximately the same-size and may be disposed on web 45a in similar manner with inwardly extending horizontal legs 51 and 52 lying or disposed directly opposite each other. A guide track 53 having a downwardly facing groove 54 may be provided on the bottom face of leg 51 by a suitable bar 55 having secured to its bottom face parallel spaced metal strips 56 defining therebetween the track groove 54. The bar -5 may be secured to leg 51 by a plurality of longitudinally spaced cap screws 57 or by other suitable means such as welding.

In similar manner, the upper surface of leg 52 may carry a bar 59 provided with parallel spaced metal strips 60 defining therebetween a track groove 61, said bar 59 being secured as by cap screws 62 in suitable longitudinal spaced relation along leg 52. There is thus provided on the members 48 and 49 a pair of opposed top and bottom guide tracks defined by the guide grooves 54 and 61, respectively, which are disposed in directly opposed face-toface relation.

In the sizing section 31 of the apparatus 20, the track means 22 includes a similar track construction as above described (FIG. 6) with the exception that the top angle section member 48' is secured to the web of the channel section frame member 46 in non-parallel converging relation to the bottom angle section member 49' (FIG. 1). The angle section members 48' and 49 carry guide tracks defined by continuations of the track grooves 54 and 61 and are indicated herein as top track groove 54' and bottom track groove 61. In this example, the upper guide track 54 converges at a preselected slope with the bottom horizontal guide track 61' so that at the end 64 of said track means 22 the guide tracks are spaced apart only slightly greater than the rollers of the roller chain means 23. It will be understood that the upper track groove 48' may be disposed in other than continuous straight converging relation as shown with respect to the bottom track 61', and, if desired, may be comprised of a plurality of stepped track sections which progressively decrease the vertical space between the track grooves in order to achieve desired group separation of articles which may have different sizing characteristics. It will be readily apparent that since the upper angle section member 48 carrying the top guide track 54 is secured to the frame member 46 as by selectively spaced nut and bolt assemblies 50" that any desired arrangement or adjustability of the top guide track 54 with respect to the bottom track guide 61 may be readily made by simply providing a different arrangement of spaced holes in the web so as to selectively space the top guide track from the bottom guide track.

The chain means 23' may be a well-known standard type of roller chain means comprising a plurality of links 66 each pivotally interconnected at its ends with adjacent links 66 and providing a pivotal mounting 67 for a chain roller 68. As best seen in FIG. 6, the roller axles 69 of alternate rollers which may engage the bottom track guide may include an axle extension 70 which may project into a bearing 71 provided at each open end of the roller 24. Each sizing roll 24 is thereby directly pivotally connected by shaft extension 70 to the roller 68 of the chain means which engages the bottom track 61 of the track means.

Means to protect and guard the track means and the roller chain means 23 operable therein and to also prevent mutilation and damage to articles being fed to sizing rolls 24 may comprise a top guard wall 74 secured to the top flange of the channel section member 45 in any suitable manner, said top guard wall 74 having an inner depending lip 75 provided with an adjustable connection to a generally inwardly and downwardly bent depending side wall 76. The sidewall 76 extends into proximity with the sizing roll 24 as shown at 77 and the bottom longitudinal edges of the side wall 76 may be provided with suitable brackets 78 for connecting thereto a resilient longitudinally extending tube 79 of suitable material such as neoprene for sealing the space between the sizing rolls 24 and the bottom edge of the guard side wall 76. Walls 74 and 76 may extend for the length of the track means 22.

The chain means 23 may be an endless chain means and has its top run or lay movable along the track means 22 through the infeed section 30 and the sizing section 31. At the end of the track means 22 the endless chain means 23 may be directed downwardly along the bottom run or lay in a path defined by an inclined section 80 (FIG. 1) which leads to a substantially horizontal section 81 which feeds the chain means to a chain reservoir or dip 82. After leaving dip 82 the bottom run of the chain means extends horizontally along a section at 83 and is then directed upwardly into the incoming or infeed section of the top run of the chain means. The chain reservoir dip 82 in the path of travel of the bottom run of the chain means provides ample space for collecting or accumulating a sufficient amount of roller chain so that it may be uniformly fed to the upper lay of the chain means without stretching or tensioning of the chain means.

Means for driving the endless roller chain means 23 and for moving the transverse sizing rolls 24 connected therewith along the upper run of the chain means may comprise a pair of front sprockets 85 and a pair of back sprockets 86. The pair of front sprockets 85 may be interconnected by a sprocket shaft 87 and each of said front sprockets 85 may include spaced apart sprocket members 88. The sprocket members 88 receive therebetween in interleaved relation tooth portions of a top idle sprocket 89 which may be carried on a shaft 90 supported by a bracket 91 carried on the top of the top flange of the channel section member 45. The top sprocket 89 in its interleaved engagement with the spaced sprocket members 88 serves to grasp and hold a roller 68 of the chain means as at 92. Rollers 68 being fed to the interleaved top and bottom sprockets 89 and 88 are confined and guided into close relationship with the sprocket roller openings in the bottom sprockets by a curved guide wall 93 secured to the frame member 38 as by angle clips 94 or other suitable manner.

It will thus be apparent that the provision of the top sprocket 89 and the manner in which the rollers 68 and links 66 of the chains are contained as they pass around the bottom sprocket 85 positively assures that each roller of the chain means is held in selected relation with respect to the sprocket and cannot be urged out of the roller sprocket openings because of forces acting on the chain means as later described.

The drive means for the roller chain means 23 may also include a motor means 95 carried by the frame means below the infeed section 30 of the sizingapparatus. The motor means 95 may be of any suitable make and manufacture and may be connected with the sprockets 85 by a drive chain means 96 having engagement with a drive member 97 at a drive shaft and having connection with a driven pulley or sprocket 98 carried on an outer extension 99 of the sprocket shaft 87. The back sprockets 86 may be driven at virtually the same rate of rotation as the front sprockets 85 by means of a direct drive connection between the sprocket shaft 87 and the sprocket shaft 100 interconnecting the pair of sprockets 86 at the back end of the sizing apparatus. Such interconnection between the sprocket shafts 87 and 100 may be any direct ratio driving arrangement and may include an endless chain 100a in engagement with sprockets 101b, 1010 and carried on outer shaft extensions of sprocket shafts 87 and 100.

Means for holding the top run or upper lay of the chain means 23 under a compressive force which causes the chain means to be disposed in compact folded relation at the inclined section 30 of the sizing conveyor and to maintain said upper run of the chain means in engagement with top and bottom tracks during progressive expansion of the sizing rolls may comprise a pair of spaced sprocket elements 101 (FIG. 12) which comprises a rear sprocket 86. The sprocket elements 101 are not fixed to sprocket shaft 100 but instead are freely mounted thereon. Sprocket shaft 100 has an extension which may be supported in a depending bracket 102 carried by the bottom flange of the channel section member 46.

Inwardly of sprocket elements 101 a tension plate 104 may be secured to a hub member 105 which may be keyed to the shaft 100 in well-known manner for rotation therewith. The inner sprocket element 101 may include a hub portion 107 which may extend into proximity with the tension plate 104 and which may carry an adjustable guide bolt 108 extending through a curved slot 109 provided in the tension plate 104. The tension plate 104 and the hub 107 of the inner sprocket element 101 may be interconnected by a suitable coil spring 110 having one end connected by a bolt to the hub member 107 and its other end by a bolt to the tension plate 104.

It will thus be apparent that rotational force components transmitted to sprocket shaft 100 will be transmitted through the hub 105 and tension plate 104 to the sprocket means 86 through and against the tension of spring 110. The guide bolt 108 may be adjusted along the length of slot 109 in order to provide selected tension in the spring 110 and as a result the sprockets 86 will rotate at virtually the same rate of rotation as the forward drive sprockets 85 while subject to the bias of spring 110 in a direction opposite to the travel of the chain.

Thus a compressive force is imposed upon the chain means and is directed toward the front end of the sizing apparatus for holding the roller chain means in the desired folded relation as determined by the uniform and variable spacing apart of the top and bottom tracks. At

spacing substantially that of the roller diameter, the roller chain will tend to assume its flat expanded relation before it reaches the discharge end because of the weight of the chain, accumulated slack in the chain, and of possible slight differences in rotation of the shafts 87 and 100. The compressive forces of the springs acting upon the floating sprockets 86 will maintain and hold the rollers 68 in positive contact with the top and bottom track grooves so that the chain means does not unfold along its length in the track means except as desired.

At the discharge end of the sizing conveyor, the sprockets 86 may be provided with a curved guard member 112 supported by suitable spaced brackets 113 which may be secured to the frame means in suitable manner. Above each sprocket means 86 and interleaved between the top portions of the sprocket members 101 may be a longitudinally extending plate 114 which is provided with a bottom edge 115 against which the rollers may bear as they leave the end of the track means 22, the rollers being held in a selected defined path as they approach and are engaged by the sprocket means 86. The plate 114 may be secured to a bracket 116 in suitable manner.

At the forward feed section of the sizing conveyor, means are provided for directing adjacent rolls 68 of the roller chain means into alternate displaced relation along the track means. As noted above, the front sprockets 85, the top sprockets 92, and the curved guide plate 95 coop erate to confine the rollers 68 of the chain means to a selected path. This selected path is further defined as the rollers are directed alternately into engagement with the top and bottom track means by a pair of longitudinally extending plates 120 and 121 provided with opposed parallel guide edges 122 and 123, respectively, which cause 'each roller to move with its axis along a straight path perpendicular to a diametrical plane passing through the axis of the shafts 87, 90 of the top and bottom sprockets. After a roller has passed slightly beyond the periphery of the sprockets 86 and 92, each of the edges 122 and 123 smoothly merges with diverging slightly concave edges 124 and 125 which smoothly merge'with the top and bottom track grooves respectively. Each edge 124 and 125 may be only slightly curved and a ch rd of each such edge may form an angle of approximately 24 to 30 degrees. This angle, together with the length of edges 124 and 125, are relatively critical in order that the rollers 68 may be alternately fed to the top and bottom grooves rsepeetively without jamming of the roller chain.

It should be noted that along the top run of the roller chain means not only are both ends of the roller chain means (at the front and back sprockets 85 and 86) held in a confined path but also that the biased back sprockets 86 serve to impose a compressive force in a direction against the direction of travel of the chain means in such a manner that the rollers are positively held in said selected path of travel and are alternately directed into engagement with .the top and bottom guide tracks. It

shouldbe noted that the upwardly inclined feed section 30 of the track means will provide a gravitational force also tending to require the rollers to be directed alternately to the top and bottom track grooves.

. Along each sizing roll 24 may be provided a plurality of axially spaced grommets 130. Depending upon the type of article being sized the shape, configuration, length and diameter of the grommets may vary. For example, if lemons are being sized then one shape of grommet may be preferred; if potatoes are being sized another shape or configuration of grommets may be used. In the present example, the grommets illustrated are shaped and configured to size potatoes in accordance with volume.

The particular configuration of the exterior surface of a grommet 130 and its length may be determined by plotting the exterior configuration of the grommet surface as follows and with respect to potatoes which are quite irregular in shape, in length, and in diameter. If

the sizing classification is, for example, two ounces, four a ounces, six ounces and nine ounces, a series of curves may be plotted wherein the potato is considered of elliptical cross section and the major and minor axes are varied while volume is kept constant. For example, in the sizing classification of nine ounces and assuming elliptical cross section of the potato, a series of curves may be plotted according to such elliptical cross section. Such curves may be plotted as in FIG. 13, the designation of 9e, 6e, 4e, 2e representing 9, 6, 4 and 2 ounce elliptical. The density of the potato may be determined and considered as a constant.

The potato may also be considered as including a generally cylindrical configuration with hemispherical ends. Then in similar manner a plurality of curves as 90, 6c, 40, 20 may be plotted for different dimensions along the major and minor axis with constant volume. After these two sets of curves have been plotted for a particular sizing classification they may then be superimposed as indicated in FIG. 13 and a composite of the constant volume curves selected. The composite curve may also be determined by combining curve characteristics of the other volume sizing classifications so that the resultant exterior configured surface of the grommet may represent a composite of all of such curves. When grommets so configured and shaped are placed in selected spaced relation along the sizing rolls and in alignment, it will be apparent that two adjacent rolls and the adjacent four grommets define a pocket which has the peculiar composite curved configuration as determined above. Thus as the sizing rolls are advanced along the sizing section, potatoes having the smaller size will be supported at four points by the four grommets at points on the surface of the grommets relating to the predetermined volume of an article. Thus the smaller size classifications will contact the grommets at that portion of the composite curve correlated to its classificaion and as the sizing rollers spread apart such potatoes as are sized by volume will fall between the rollers and through the pockets onto the collecting transversely moving conveyor.

As the sizing conveyor continues to advance and the sizing rolls are spaced further apart by the convergence of the top and bottom tracks, potatoes having a volume as progressively predetermined by the configuration of the grommets will be permitted by the sizing rolls and grommets to fall onto the transversely collecting conveyor.

More specifically, the curvature of the grommets is such that for each variation of the relationship between major and minor axes of articles having same volume (and approximately the same weight), the article will pass through the grommet pocket at a preselected spacing apart of the sizing rolls. Thus a potato of 9 ounces will be passed through a pocket if it is .a long thin potato or a short round-like potato.

It will be readily understood that an effective, simplified sizer construction has been described which utilizes standard roller chain means and Which reduces wear and maintenance on the sizer roll and chain assembly. Moreover, the configuration of the track means may be readily changed so that predetermined sizing classifications may be readily obtained.

It will be understood that other means may be used to hold and maintain the chain means in folded relation in.

contact with the tracks. Such other means may include means for imparting a uniform drag force to the movement of the top lay, such as an idle sprocket engaged with the roller chain, friction means engaged with the roller chain, an upwardly inclined section adjacent the discharge end, and the like. It will be understood that the drag force should be controllable so that a relatively uniform force is imparted to the chain means against its direction of movement.

While simple sleeve bearings have been illustrated to provide a connection between the sizing roll and chain roller, other bearings may beused such as roller or ball bearings. Such freely rotatable sizing rolls may be required to be controlled as to rate of rotation. If the rate is too fast, articles may be bounced and tossed on the infeed section 30; if tool slow, articles may not be properly oriented. The invention contemplates means for controlling the rate of rotation of the sizing rolls as by increasing or decreasing the diameter of an attachable circular flange member carried at one end of a sizing roll for rolling contact with a top or bottom friction member as previously described. In this instance the bottom track flange 52 may be slightly wider to cooperate with the circular member between roller chain and the end grommet 24. Other structural changes may be made at this vicinity to accomplish this purpose.

It is important to note that each roller chain means 23 is so disposed With its rollers and links in the same vertical longitudinally extending planar zone as that defined by the top and bottom oppositely facing guide tracks. Since each sizing roll 24 is carried by an extension of one of the shafts of the rollers 68 it will be apparent that offset or moment loading of the linkage arrangement will be substantially eliminated and wear and maintenance of the track means and the roller chain means will be reduced to a minimum.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that means may be provided on the infeed section 30 for rotating the normally freely rotating sizing rolls in either direction in order to produce desired orientation of the particular article being sized. It may also be desirable to provide such means along the sizing section of the conveyor for particular articles although it will be understood that for many articles positive rotation of the sizing rolls in the sizing section may not be desired. Such means for causing rotation of the rolls may simply consist of a friction member in contact with ends of the rolls in order to impart rotational movement thereto as the rolls are advanced by the chain means.

It will be readily understood that an effective, simplified sizer construction has been described which utilizes standard roller chain means and which reduces wear and maintenance on the sizer roll and chain assembly. Moreover, the configuration of the track means may be readily changed. It will be understood that other means may be used to hold the chain means in folded relation in contact with the tracks such as an upwardly inclined section adjacent the discharge end.

All changes and modifications coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. In combination with a sizing apparatus for articles of irregular shape, each including a major and minor dimension and having a plurality of parallel sizing roll members, each member being rotatable about an axis, means to orient each article on the sizing rolls with respect to its major dimension, and means to progressively spread said sizing roll members apart at selected article classification zones for classifying said articles in accordance With selected volume, the provision of: a plurality of spaced grommets on said roll members in alignment, adjacent grommets on adjacent roll members having point locations for supporting an article, each of said grommets having external surfaces generated by rotating a composite curve about said axis and having a minimum diameter at edges of said grommets and a maximum diameter at the central portion of said grommets, the composite curve forming said external surfaces being derived from a plurality of independent curves, each based on shapes of constant volume while maximum and minimum dimensions of said shapes are varied to provide spacing of point locations on said surfaces to form pocket openings irregularly variable in the shape of the openings substantially in accordance with the volume of the said shapes.

2. In combination with a sizing apparatus for articles of irregular shape and including a major and minor dimension and having a plurality of sizing roll members, means to orient each article on said sizing roll members with respect to its major dimension, and means to progressively spread said sizing roll members apart at selected article classification zones for classifying said articles in accordance with selected volume, the provision of: a plurality of grommet members on each roll member in axial spaced relation, each of said grommet members having an external surface configuration composed of a plurality of point locations, each point location on said surface forming with corresponding point locations of like surfaces on adjacent grommet members an opening of selected area, the several point locations along said surfaces at a selected spacing of said sizing roll members providing a plurality of openings of approximately the same selected area of opening whereby variation in major and minor dimensions of articles to be sized are compensated for and articles of approximately the same volume and of selected different major and minor dimensions are passed through said opening at the selected spacing of the roll members.

3. Sizing roll means for use in apparatus for sizing articles other than spherical and of variable shape and size according to volume, comprising: a pair of spaced cylindrical roll members, a plurality of spaced grommets on said roll members in alignment whereby adjacent pairs of grommets on said roll members provide four point 10- cati'ons to define a pocket opening for supporting a nonspherical article at four points thereof, each of said grommets having an external surface generated by a composite curve, rotated about the axis of the cylindrical roll member and having a minimum radius at opposite ends of said grommet and a maximum radius at the central portion of said grommet, the point locations on each surface being correlated to the locations on the coaxial surface of the adjacent grommet and to the point locations on the surfaces of the pair of grommets on the adjacent roll member to provide a pocket opening determined by said four point locations, said point locations being so spaced each from the other that articles of approximately the same volume but of diflerent shape are passed through said pocket opening.

4. A grommet member for use in sizing apparatus for classifying and sizing non-spherical articles by volume and for use with spaced cooperable like grommet members, comprising: an external surface on said grommet member generated by rotating a composite curve about an axis and having a minimum radius at ends of the grommet member and a maximum radius at the central portion of the grommet member, said composite curve comprising a plurality of point location-s spaced from said axis, each point location on said curve forming with corresponding point locations of adjacent like curves on adjacent grommet members an opening of selected area, the several point locations along said curve at any one spacing of the axes of adjacent grommets providing a plurality of openings of approximately the same selected area whereby variation in major and minor dimensions of articles to be sized are compensated for and articles of approximately the same volume are passed through the pocket openings at any one of said spacings.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT B. REEVES, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A SIZING APPARATUS FOR ARTICLES OF IRREGUALAR SHAPE, EACH INCLUDING A MAJOR AND MINOR DIMENSION AND HAVING A PLURALITY OF PARALLEL SIZING ROLL MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER BEING ROTATABLE ABOUT AN AXIS, MEANS TO ORIENT EACH ARTICLE ON THE SIZING ROLLS WITH RESPECT TO ITS MAJOR DIMENSION, AND MEANS TO PROGRESSIVELY SPREAD SAID SIZING ROLL MEMBERS APART AT SELECTED ARTICLE CLASSIFICATION ZONES FOR CLASSIFYING SAID ARTICLES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SELECTED VOLUME, THE PROVISION OF: A PLURALITY OF SPACED GROMMETS ON SAID ROOL MEMBERS IN ALIGNMENT, ADJACENT GROMMETS ON ADJACENT ROLL MEMBERS HAVING POINT LOCATIONS FOR SUPPORTING AN ARTICLE, EACH OF SAID GROMMETS HAVING EXTERNAL SURFACES GENERATED BY ROTATING A COMPOSITE CURVE ABOUT SAID AXIS AND HAVING A MINIMUM DIAMETER AT EDGES OF SAID GROMMETS AND A MAXIMUM DIAMETER AT THE CENTRAL PORTION OF SAID GROMMETS, THE COMPOSITE CURVE FORMING SAID EXTERNAL SURFACES BEING DERIVED FROM A PLURALITY OF INDEPENDENT CURVES, EACH BASED ON SHAPES OF CONSTANT VOLUME WHILE MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM DIMENSIONS OF SAID SHAPES ARE VARIED TO PROVIDE SPACING OF POINT LOCATIONS ON SAID SURFACES TO FORM POCKET OPENINGS IRREGULARLY VARIABLE IN THE SHAPE OF THE OPENINGS SUBSTANTIALLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE VOLUME OF THE SAID SHAPES. 